This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with an emphasis on “Focusing on God’s Finished Work”. We have been looking at Ephesians 2:10 for days. Let’s go back to it this morning. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do” (Eph 2:10 ERV).
In Mark 8 Jesus gathered a crowd of His followers together to provide them an important message. This is what He said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it.” (Mark 8:34,35 ERV).
This morning I am coupling what God said through Paul in Ephesians 2:10 with what Jesus said to His potential followers in Mark 8:34,35 to give you a message entitled, “Your Life Is NOT About You!”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. When Jesus was speaking to a crowd of His followers He already knew what Paul would later write in Ephesians 2:10. Jesus knew that He and the Father already had plans for each and every person He was looking at. Which is why Jesus could confidently look out at a crowd and say, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want.” Jesus knew His plans for their lives were much greater than anything they could come up with on their own. He knew the people He was looking at were already destined. They were already called to greatness. Their path to victory was already mapped out. But Jesus also knew that in order for them to RECEIVE the victory God had already prepared they were going to have to DIE. They had to die to self and selfishness. They had to give their lives as a sacrifice in order to receive true life – the life God planned for them to live. Guess what? What was true that day, while Jesus was speaking to the crowd, is true this day as I am speaking to you!
2. Long before you were born God planned your final outcome and the path to it. But in order to experience the life God planned you must first have a relationship with the planner and you must then be willing to die to the plans you came up with without Him.
3. God is not looking for you to work for or earn His plan. His plan for your life is already mapped out. He called you by grace, not by merit. God is simply looking for you to believe His goodness, receive what He wants to do in your life by faith, and then DIE to self so you don’t mess it up!
4. Religion puts the spotlight on man and it requires things of man, as if man were working hard to earn God’s approval. This is why God hates religion. God does not want you to spend the rest of your life working for His approval. Jesus already earned your approval. Once you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you are already approved.
5. God wants you to get to the point where you realize your life is SO MUCH about Jesus and NOT about you, that you finally REST in His finished work.
a) God does not want you working hard to attain anything in Him. Jesus already attained for you. God simply wants you to receive by faith what He has already provided by grace.
b) The Father does not want you working hard to become someone in Him. You are already are someone in Him. He just wants you to believe what He believes about you!
c) When God looks at you He sees you the way He called you. Now He wants you to get the point where you see it too! Not based on your works, but based on Jesus’ works. Not based on your goodness, but on His!
d) God does not want you entering every day attempting to work to earn His approval. The Father wants you to enter every day FROM the position of His approval. There is a big difference!
e) Stop striving to perform. God is not looking for your performance. This is why your life is not about you you at all. God is looking for your death, so He is free to LIVE through you!
f) The Father does not want you to live your life striving to MAKE things happen. He wants you to simply discern what He has already done. Once you do, you then get to walk in His finished work. If you think you can MAKE it happen without God, then you have made Jesus irrelevant. He does not want to be irrelevant in your life. He actually wants to be the star. When people read the book of your life Jesus wants to be the star on every page! So as you enter this day, do so determined to MAKE GOD FAMOUS! If you do, He will make your name great!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I have brought my life into focus in 2016. I have changed my perspective. I see things differently. My life is no longer about me or my selfish desires. My life is all about You and Your desires for me. I am not working FOR grace. I am working BY grace. I am not striving FOR Your approval. I enter every day knowing I am approved. I am Your child. I am called for such a time as this. This is my season. This is my time. I am no longer the star of my life’s story. And since I glorify THEE Father, You are can now glorify ME! I am committed to making You famous, and because I am, You are committed to making my name great! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
